Postdoctoral Researcher in Anthropology

PRIO invites applications for a 2-year, full-time Postdoctoral Researcher in evolutionary, cultural or social anthropology, or a closely related field, for the ERC project “Rituals in combatant-to-civilian transformation” (Com2Civ), led by PI Júlia Palik. The position provides an opportunity to work at a leading international research institute, located in Norway’s capital city, Oslo, as part of a novel interdisciplinary project on the role of rituals in ex-combatants’ reintegration. The position will involve fieldwork in Colombia.

About Com2Civ

Com2Civ investigates how rituals shape the social reintegration of ex-combatants, positively and negatively, after war. Com2Civ is a multidisciplinary project, drawing on insights from political science, social psychology, anthropology, and gender studies. The project develops new theory on ritual-driven socialization into combatant and civilian identities and generates novel evidence through life-history interviews, surveys, and social cartography with ex-combatants from FARC-EP (Colombia) and MILF (Philippines). Com2Civ will strive to reveal the social-psychological mechanisms involved in combatant-to-civilian transformation processes, contributing to scientific efforts aimed at understanding the individual level mechanisms of reintegration. Com2Civ results will appear in major multidisciplinary journals, advancing the field in at least four disciplines.

The core team includes the PI (Júlia Palik; whose expertise is in ex-combatant reintegration and gender studies), a Postdoctoral researcher (in social psychology who will be responsible for survey work in Colombia and the Philippines), and the Postdoctoral position currently announced, in anthropology, whose work will focus on Colombia, and research assistants.

The work of the Postdoctoral researcher in anthropology will focus on** Work Packages 2 and 4 (WP2 and 4)** including life-history interviews, ethnographic observation, and social cartography with ex-combatants in Colombia, while contributing to cross-project integration and theory development.

Key responsibilities

• Design, conduct, and analyse life-history interviews with ex-combatants in Colombia, ensuring trauma-informed, ethical practices.
• Carry out social cartography workshops with former combatants and community members to map ritual practices and social networks.
• Collaborate closely with the PI and the Postdoctoral researcher in social psychology to ensure cross-method integration (e.g., linking qualitative insights to survey design and survey results to social cartography design).
• Engage in ethnographic fieldwork with ex-combatants, including observation of community rituals and reintegration events.
• Write journal articles in collaboration with the PI and the other members of the team.
• Contribute to theory building and cross-method integration.

Opportunities

• Shape a novel, interdisciplinary research agenda at the intersection of anthropology, political science, social psychology, and gender studies.
• Conduct ethnographic fieldwork in Colombia, with strong institutional and fieldwork support.
• Collaborate with local researchers, NGOs, and reintegration stakeholders in Colombia.
• Work within a leading international research institute (PRIO, Oslo) with strong survey/fieldwork support networks and ethics/data management expertise.
• Present at international conferences and engage policy audiences (e.g., UN DDR communities). Dedicated travel and dissemination resources are budgeted.
• The PI of Com2Civ is part of several leading psychology and anthropology labs and research groups in Norway, Europe, and the US. These contacts provide networking and collaboration opportunities for the successful candidate within the broader research environment focused on rituals and intra/inter-group relations.
• Com2Civ will support time to complete ongoing research and initiate new research agendas.

Qualifications

Required

• PhD in anthropology (cultural, social, or evolutionary) or a closely related field. The PhD dissertation must have been submitted **before ** the application deadline, and the degree must have been awarded **before **the starting date.
• Proven expertise with ethnographic methods (e.g., participant observation, interviews, visual methods).
• Fieldwork experience, preferably in Latin America, and ability to conduct field research in Colombia.
• Excellent skills in qualitative analysis and experience with software such as NVivo, Atlas.ti, or similar.
• Excellent written and spoken Spanish and English.
• Strong collaborative skills.

Desirable

• Research background in ritual, identity, conflict, or reintegration processes.
• Experience with experimental and behavioural methods.
• Cross-cultural comparative analysis using both field data and existing datasets.
• Familiarity with trauma-informed, ethical research with vulnerable populations,
• Familiarity with DDR processes, veterans’ reintegration, or related fields.

Work conditions

Contract: 2 years, full-time. The position is research-only.

Location: The institute is located in a spacious and attractive premises in central Oslo, Norway (on-site presence required), with field travel to Colombia.

Postdoctoral researchers at PRIO are formally placed under the staff category of Senior Researcher. The starting salary for a Senior Researcher at PRIO is NOK 769,893 (before taxes). Employees are offered membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

Additional employee benefits include a subsidized canteen, a weekly running group, and various social events. Moreover, PRIO provides an excellent work environment.

Application procedure

Before applying, the candidates should read the project proposal of Com2Civ, focusing particularly on Work Packages 2 and 4 (WP2 and 4). To access the project proposal, please email the PI, Julia Palik at julpal@prio.org.  Submit the following documents in English and in PDF format via PRIO’s online system by 24 November 2025:

1. Application letter (1–2 pages) addressing how you meet each required and desired qualification; describe relevant fieldwork experience and your motivation to apply for this position. If you do not meet any required criterion, please state so.
2. Short statement (1–2 pages) outlining how your expertise will contribute to Com2Civ’s WP2 and WP4 and how you would address feasibility/ethics in Colombian fieldwork.
3. One–two publications you consider your best work (single/first-authored preferred; working papers welcome). Please briefly (max. two paragraphs) explain why you consider each to be your best work.
4. CV in English, including a list of publications.
5. Scans of transcripts/certificates (single PDF).

Com2Civ allows a degree of flexibility in integrating the applicant’s own ideas, provided they align with the project’s aims and ethical commitments. Therefore, the applicants are welcome, but are not required, to suggest (in Attachment 6) research ideas that could be integrated into WP2 and WP4.

Assessment procedure

The interviews with selected candidates will take place in the beginning of December 2025 (in person or online).

In the online form, candidates will be requested to provide the full name and contact details of three references. References will only be contacted after the interview stage.

The expected starting date for the position is 1 January 2026, or unless otherwise mutually agreed.

Contact

Questions about the project, as well as requests for Com2Civ project description, should be sent to the PI, Senior Researcher Júlia Palik, julpal@prio.org

For information about the recruitment process or the submission of your application, please contact Catarina Barbieri (catbar@prio.org), tel. +47 916 94 674

PRIO is an equal-opportunity employer and values staff diversity. For more information on our HR and recruitment approach, please consult our recruitment principles and  careers page.